Media is the primary communication tools or sources utilized to either transmit and store data or information. The word refers generally to different elements of the mass media communication industries, including print, broadcast, film, television, music, video, and the web. In technical terms, media can be represented by any given medium which can be utilized to deliver specific information, such as voice, image, text, animation, audiovisual, or presence. The data or information being communicated is then stored or delivered in the form of media. Media may also refer to the delivery systems, which may be electronic or optical, or may rely on the physical media such as tapes, disks, compact disks, or media wires.
Information services which can be categorized as such include news sources, social networks, and media portals. Social media refer to websites that facilitate interaction on the internet and the World Wide Web. News media refer to print media such as periodicals and newspapers, television news broadcasts, and radio news sources. And the last category, which includes multimedia news sources, refers to the Internet-based and digital news sources. Such networks include the major networks like CCTV China TV China, CCTV Malaysia TV, Japan TV Online, Al Jazeera English, and the BBC World Service.
Print media industries continue to expand at a rapid pace, as traditional publications and news sources are shifting to digital forms, thanks to technological advancement. Meanwhile, television and radio news are experiencing severe cutbacks due to dwindling number of viewers and ratings. Such trends are likely to affect the profitability of both print and broadcast media businesses. Hence, it is essential for media houses to diversify their business models by exploring other means of advertising such as online marketing.
